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rise to the moment

And while the road ahead will be long, and the work will be hard, I know that we can steer ourselves out of this crisis, because here in America we always rise to the moment, no matter how hard.

Hi,
I'd like to know if the underlined expression could be rephrased as "keep up to the challenge of the moment".
Also, I wonder if I can use this expression casually, like in "I don't know if I can rise to this job/task/challenge.".
Thanks.

Re: rise to the moment

The expression, if not cliche, is usually 'rise to the occasion'."I don't know if I can rise to this job/task/challenge.".
You could say that with ease in the UK, but never...NEVER say this is America.
There, everything is at least put in a positive light; there's never any diffidence: it's always a 'we're gonna kick ass!' attitude.

Also, whatever activity you do pursue, perhaps achieving some great scientific breakthrough, then it was notwork, or even, actually, out of deep intellectual interest: it was because looking for/discovering life on another planet "seemed a fun thing to do."

Re: rise to the moment

Americans teem with self-confidence, so that expressing doubt about one's ability is an alien notion - at least, it is not expressed. It would never be, "Let's give it a try!" A positive outcome is always professed, nay, trumpeted.